What Causes Allergies?
The prevalence of allergies is on the rise, but why do some people suffer allergic reactions while others don't? If you were lucky enough to be an allergy-free kid, could you still develop allergies as an adult?
An Overreaction to Food Allergies
Many children are wrongly diagnosed with food allergies because of inaccurate tests
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High Ozone and Pollen Levels Could Worsen Allergies
The "sneeziest and wheeziest" cities include Chicago, Memphis and Oklahoma City
Botanical Sexism Cultivates Home-Grown Allergies
It's the time year for watery eyes and itchy noses, and if you're among the afflicted, you may be surprised to learn that decades of botanical sexism in urban landscapes have contributed to your woes.
When Peanut Allergy Comes from a Blood Transfusion
A Canadian boy picked up new allergies when he received donor plasma
How Can Peanut Allergies Be Prevented?
Findings from a large, randomized trial suggest early exposure may decrease risk by as much as 86 percent
Can China Cut Coal?
On a visit to China a few years back, I asked a local official about pollution controls after enjoying my first sour, gritty taste of the country’s air.
U.S. Prescription-Drug Safety Program Expands
The FDA will continue to monitor safety from health records
Is an Unusual Virus Spreading in the Midwest?
The CDC is closely monitoring the outbreak of a rare respiratory infection afflicting people in Illinois and Missouri. Just how bad is it, and what can be done to stop the spread?
An Eye-Popping New Look at Flowers' Highly Public Private Parts
People who lack the gardening bug often regard flowers like fashion models: pretty but boring. Jens Petersen, the man who gave us the groundbreaking photographs of fungi in “The Kingdom of Fungi”, which I reviewed here in March, has a new book of photographs (still available only in Danish, unfortunately, and called Blomsterliv — “Flower [...]
Moldy Muffin Mystery
A fungi expert helps Scientific American ID the mold in a reader-submitted photo
Grasses' Secret: They Have Flowers, and Some Are Gorgeous
Growing up, I felt certain that grass and most trees did not have flowers. They just had leaves and seeds — that was all I could see, anyway.